Her Final Preference
by Amnesie
Summary: Addison takes a cue from Meredith. AlexAddisonMark triangle.
1. Chapter 1

-1If Meredith Grey could do it, so could she. Date two men at a time, that is. It had always seemed so immoral to do such a thing in her younger days. She'd been a one man kind of woman. But, then again, that was also before she had cheated on her inattentive husband. She'd changed. And to face facts, sometimes a girl just couldn't choose.

It had never been her intent to be in this situation. When she and Mark had made their agreement, she had wanted so desperately to believe that he could do it. She wanted him to prove that he was as sensitive to her needs as he'd claimed to be and that she genuinely, profoundly mattered to him. That would fulfill all of her requirements wouldn't it? Together they had passion; love they were missing.

She hadn't expected that their arrangement would cause the friction it had… and all because of a certain third person.

-----

"Addie, hold up." She glanced behind her to see Mark Sloan quickly heading her way. Stopping, she adjusted the coat and purse she carried in her arms. "Where are you headed now, my torturous vixen?"

She gave him a discerning look over the top of her glasses. "Home. And before you ask- alone."

He gave her a wounded look, but laughed. "How about to the bar with me? Get a few cocktails in you and you'll be a wild woman." He paused. "Just thinking about it, I can hardly wait."

She shook her heard. "Have you forgotten about our pact so quickly, Mark?"

"Never," he asserted, but began grinning slyly. "But does it count if you can't remember it happened the morning after?"

"No sex. None. And no bar. Because you and me and alcohol…," she need not finish her thought. It was obvious. Intoxication was just what she _didn't _need. He was tempting enough without it and she was afraid that just one drink would push her over the edge.

He smirked. "Fine, fine. But if you decide to prematurely terminate our little arrangement, I'll be in my hotel room. Alone. Well, just me and my mini bar."

She smiled tenderly at him. "Thanks, Mark. For not pushing it."

His expression sobered. "Anything for you, Addie. Anything."

After giving her a little kiss on the top of her head, he walked away, leaving her feeling emptier than the minute before. She sighed and turned around, heading in her original direction. She hadn't gotten too far before another masculine voice was calling her name.

"Dr. Montgomery!"

Swiveling, she saw her favorite intern advancing on her. "Could I talk to you?"

"What is it, Karev?" Her curiosity was piqued. They'd worked together often that day and had gotten along well. Not that _that_ was anything new. He was habitually paired with her and they made the most of their time together. Professionally, of course. They were like a well-oiled machine and that effortlessness made work enjoyable. Maybe too enjoyable…

He moved to stand close to her. "I'm just going to spit this out. Would you like to have dinner with me?"

She looked up at him, surprised. "But I thought you weren't…"

"Interested?" He smiled. "I lied."

"Oh." She was startled. He had sounded so convincing when he'd told her that their kiss had meant nothing. However, maybe she was just too used to trivial kisses.

Sighing, she gazed into his hopeful eyes. She'd promised Mark her celibacy and a hope for commitment. But that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the attention of another handsome male. She wouldn't be lying. She would be going home alone. Yet, there was a reverberating voice in her mind telling her that she couldn't pass up a detour along the way, if for no other reason than because he'd said he'd notice if she went missing.


	2. Chapter 2

He opened her door for her. Her first thought was amazement at how long it had been. Just when had she decided romance wasn't necessary? As of late, she'd turned into a woman who had meaningless sex. The deeply buried sentimental dreamer in her winced at the realization. The idealist of her youth would have been appalled. She wasn't the same woman now, though. She was matured and cynical and… going to dinner with a man who made her feel young…

But old at the same time. Sitting awkwardly in his car, she sees the stack of reflective Cds that had previously been resting in the passenger seat now laying on the floor. Out of curiosity, she grabs a few. Flipping through the discs, she is able to recognize none. And there it is, flooding her senses. The generational gap that exists between them now a bright, flashing light before her eyes. She's insane. She's a crazy attending out on a not-so-platonic or professional outing with an intern. Albeit, a gorgeous intern. Actually, a very appealing intern. An intern with understanding eyes that plead her to do clandestine and naughty things with him in the backseat of his car in the middle of the busy road. Well maybe not there, but if he didn't stop looking over at her like that she might have to take immediate action. She really had to stop with these thoughts. Especially in the midst of her period of reformed chastity! Honestly, she'd be better off having him drive straight to the nearest nunnery and kick her to the curb, yet she had the distinct feeling she'd be doing some serious sinning before he drove off.

"I know what you're thinking."

She abruptly broke away from her thoughts. "Don't make assumptions, Karev. You know what they say and.. Well…Most people may already think you're an ass, but I haven't heard that particular word about myself yet."

He grinned and she followed his gaze down to the stack of Cds on her lap. "I'm not that much younger than you are."

She looked back up into his eyes guiltily. "I wasn't…"

"Please. And just so you know, I've been a man for many years."

She was all too aware. Everything about him screamed intense, tempting, male. He made her lose her senses. And while it was all too obvious to her, she was lucky that he didn't know that.

He was a man, but she was a woman- an older one. A divorced one. Complete with enough baggage to fill a book. A sad, depressing, angst-ridden memoir that would be too miserable for even Oprah.

"Look, we'll just ignore that issue for now."

That was the best idea she'd heard yet.

* * *

He may be young, but he knew how to treat a woman. He'd picked out a small, inviting restaurant with enough dim lighting to be romantic, but not so ostentatious as to scare a skittish woman off. The seat she was resting on was plush and velvety; the music melodious and low. It made her feel like a girl. Or rather, like a woman suddenly in touch with the femininity she hid day in and day out underneath shapeless scrubs. Sitting directly across from him in this setting was a totally different experience than the awkward side-by-side perspective she'd experienced in the car. It was more honest and more frightening simply because the way he looked at her was so compelling, powerful. She briefly considered running to the restroom to give herself a reprieve from her own quavering nerves, but it would entail leaving his presence and at that given moment, she wasn't quite prepared for that.

"I know this is weird." Either he sensed her edginess or he felt it too.

"I can't say it's not, Karev, but aren't all first da…" She hadn't meant to go there. Not this quickly.

Smiling tenderly, he lay his hand on the table. "Alex. Call me Alex."

She nodded slowly. "Alex."

He grinned playfully. "Progress. See if you can remember that, I'd say our first date is better than most."

She laughed and some of her trembling nerves stopped shaking. This was them. Just them in a different setting.

* * *

She couldn't recall when it had happened, but somewhere between courses, her fingers had inched across the table to join with his. He'd inhaled sharply at the contact and she would have sworn they'd both felt the heat between them. She had finished being nervous and had headed straight into shameless. Their conversation had mostly revolved around their entertaining coworkers. He'd regaled her with stories of foolish intern antics and she'd added a few accounts of her own younger years, omitting the time periods of course. He told her openly of his past relationship with Izzie and she managed to speak candidly about Derek, while narrowly avoiding the topic of Mark. They spoke of their more memorable patients and about their current one.

"You probably think me foolish for getting so involved with Jane Doe, don't you?" He had been dying to ask her. She always seemed as if she frowned upon his interest, yet he knew she cared a lot.

She smiled. "You interns all seem like that. So pushy and caught up in everything. I want to say that I disapprove but I can't. You've got the ability to feel yet. You aren't cynical. You fearlessly put yourselves in heartbreaking situations and come out alive. I want to condemn it, but I'm just jealous. Truthfully, it's commendable."

He suppressed the urge to beam at her praise, flashing a smirk instead. "Unless you cut LVAD wires."

"True," she laughed. "That does push the limit."

* * *

Driving back to her hotel room after Alex had dropped her off at her car, she was overwhelmed. If her life hadn't been complicated before that evening, and it certainly had, it was worse now. She hadn't wanted to leave him and that was a bad sign, because she had guaranteed herself to another man and couldn't afford to be emotionally invested in one she shouldn't have. Yet when she was with him, she couldn't help herself. She couldn't avoid laughing at his jokes or smiling at his sincerity or accepting his kisses. At the last she was especially bad. She'd blame it on the atmosphere, but his car really wasn't that attractive. He was. And that was a problem.

Entering her hotel room, she collapsed onto her couch, still wearing her business attire and heels. Looking around the room, she sighed. Emptiness. While drowning in a sea of emotions, her empty hotel room felt like an oasis.

Of course, a sanctuary away from the human kind was too much to ask for. A knock sounded outside her suite. She slowly dragged herself away from the sofa and opened the door.

An appetizing-looking Mark Sloan grinned down at her roguishly, his gaze traveling up and down her figure, trailing slowly over the area below her skirt. "Haven't changed yet, Addie? You must have known I was coming. But then again, if I had your legs, I'd want to sit around and look at them too."

His hot gaze caused her skin to flush. "Mark, what are you doing here?"

His smile grew more wicked and he walked into her room, roughly grabbing and spinning her body so that she was pinned, back to the door and her breasts squeezed against his hard, muscular frame. "I thought you might want me to warm your sheets for you."

She moaned. Did she have "sex-starved" written across her forehead? A woman could only take so much testosterone and male animal magnetism before she gave in and told the predator to just take her.

He must have sensed her was pushing their boundaries because he eased away from her gradually. Smiling hesitantly he admitted, "I was bored. Plus I saw your favorite movie was going to be starting on Channel 7."

"Really?" She was shocked he knew what her preference was, and he must have been able to read that on her features, because when he spoke again he sounded offended.

"I pay attention, Addie. More than you know."

A little unnerved, she told him to take a seat and flipped the television opposite the bed on. He propped himself up with his back to the headboard, while she headed into the bathroom to change.

"Layers. Lots of layers, please. Winter parka even."

She laughed mischievously. He groaned when she emerged a minute layer wearing just a tee-shirt and shorts.

"You really are trying to torture me, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Slowly." Settling back against the headboard herself, she added, "I'm Satan, remember?"

He eyed her bare legs reverently. "Must make me a devil worshipper."

She smiled softly to herself, pleased at his attention. He pulled her close, his arm around her shoulders, her head tucked underneath his chin. Stretched out on the bed, their legs were intertwined and her senses were bursting with the awareness of his masculine smell and the taut muscle enveloping her from all around. Her heart pounded wildly, though she simply lay still. He was Mark. He was one of a kind and he was unapologetic for it. He was brazen and tender. And he knew her favorite movie.

* * *

For a broken woman, she was certainly surrounded by men with healing power. In just one day she'd felt both young and in her prime, disciplined and licentious, excited and tranquil. She'd been appreciated and yearned for. However, she'd also been challenged by nerves and desire and presented with more obstacles than she'd been expecting. As was life; it was never what you expected. Her emotions ran rampant; a roller coaster of feeling. Her only hope was that she would survive the ride. 


End file.
